Research in Motion Limited (RIM) has strategically changed its name to BlackBerry in its attempt to regain critical market share from iPhone an Android. Thorsten Heins announced that the new BlackBerry 10 will be available to the United States (AT&T and Verizon will launch) in March with February releases for Canada and the U.K. BlackBerry will introduce the smartphone to consumers at $199 suggested retail with a contractual agreement and $599 suggested retail for unlocked version. The name change will also be marked by a stock ticker symbol change to BBRY on February 4, 2013. This re-imaging plan is an attempt to recreate a new BlackBerry identity to effectively compete with the smartphone giants.

The BlackBerry 10 will be built with a touchscreen, an operating system similar to iPhone and Android, and additional enhancing and unique features. The BlackBerry 10 will have a Hub feature that brings all social media and email messages into a universal box. The BlackBerry Messenger will also have voice and video chatting functionality. These are a few of the distinguishing features that BlackBerry is planning on bringing to the SmartPhone market.

Apps. BlackBerry has proactively planned to stock its BlackBerry World Store with over 70,000 apps to satisfy the consumer's hunger for instant media gratification. Popular apps available to iPhone and Android will also be in the BlackBerry World Store on launch day.

The BlackBerry 10 will features a dual-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, 4.2" touch screen, and forward and back facing cameras (8 megapixel and 2 megapixel respectively).

BlackBerry is coming into the Smartphone game hard and its due diligence may have placed this almost extinct name back into the household electronic shopping list. As the SmartPhone war continues, there may not be any losers as consumers continue to enjoy the fruit of continual technological and media enhancements. May the best Smart Phone win.

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